Oar coupling



(No Model.)

A. RICE.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 271,272. Patented Jan.30, 1888.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAH RICE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 STEPHEN WHEELER, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,272, dated January 30, 1883.

' Application filed December 18, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVAH RICE, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Gar-Couplers,whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple det'ice for coupling railroad-cars 5 and it consists in inserting a piece or body of simple form within the draw-bar in common use, capable of being moved longitudinally therein and adjusted to hold either the link or pin in place while in the act of couplingcars together, the same being fully described hereinafter, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ear-coupler, with partssectioned and broken away Fig. 2, a similar View, showing some of the parts in different positions; Fig. 3, a plan of the same with parts sectioned and broken away, viewed as indicated by the arrow y in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 a front end elevation of the same, viewed as indicated by the arrow 2 in Fig. 1.

et'erring to the parts, A is the upper, and B the lower, horizontal bar or mem berofthe drawhar; G, the bumper-ring of the same; D, the coupling-link, and F the pin thereof, all of common construction.

G is the block of hard wood, commonly secured between the wrought-iron members A and B to add strength and stiifness to the body of the draw-bar. This block I divide vertically and longitudinallyinto two equal pieces, f and f, leaving a space, I), about one inch wide between them, said space being surrounded by the four side walls or sides, A B andff, of the draw-bar.

I is a sliding bar or body of suitable length, fitted to slide freely longitudinally within the space b between the side walls, being narrower vertically than said space, and made to rest at its lower edge upon the lower member, B, of the draw-bar. This sliding bar is T-shaped in plan, as shown in Fig. 3, having vertical projectin g strips a a secured at the sides thereof and flush with the front end of the said sliding bar, which strips serve the purpose of widening the end face or end, g, of the sliding bar I,

l so as to receive the end of an approaching link as the latter enters the bumper-ring (J and cause the said sliding bar to be moved back by the link in the act of coupling. These strips a a also form fin ger-rests for the operator, by means of which tomove said sliding bar longitudinally withbutthedraw-bar, as above stated, in theoperation ofcouplingcars together. The

rear faces or shoulders, c c, of the strips meet the ends of the blocksff when the sliding bar is moved back from the bumper-ring, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and form stops for said sliding barin its backward movement, and on account of the concave form of the strips spaces 6 e are left between the rests a a and ends of the respective blocksff for the purpose of inserting the fingers to draw the sliding bar forward, as stated. When the sliding bar is drawn forward the upper part of the face 9 comes in contact with the inner surface of the bumper-ring at h, which forms a stop for the sliding bar to prevent it being at any time drawn out of the draw-bar.

When it is wished to couple the draw-bar shown ontoanothercartheslidingbarlisdrawn forward by hand, as above described, to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, with the pin raised and resting upon the upper surface of said sliding bar. The link D of the approaching car impinging against the face 9 of the sliding bar pushes the latter back to the position shown in dotted lines, when the pin drops through the link and the couplingis completed. Ifit is wished to hold the link in position to enter the opposing bumper of an approachin g car for the purpose of coupling, the sliding block I is drawn forward and raised at its front end,so as to rest upon the end of the link, as shown in Fig. 2, the end of the link occupying the notch 01 in the lower front corner of the sliding bar.

link when in the position shown, 011 account of the leverage of the latter from overbalancing outside of the bumper-ring, holds the front end of the sliding bar up against the under surface of the member A of the draw-bar, which pressure of the link upon the sliding baris sufficient to hold the former in place for the purpose of effecting the coupling with the other car. The

The pressure exerted against the under side of the sliding bar by the upper side, i, of the notch is madeinclining, as stantially as shown, and for the purpose set shown, for the purpose ofaccom modating lin ks forth. of different sizes. 2. The combination of the sides or walls A B' 15 I claim as my inventionand ff of the draw-bar, and the bumper-ring 1. In a car-coupler, in combination with the (J,link D,and pin F,with the sliding bar I, proparallel bars or members A and B and blocks vided with the finger-rests a a, shoulders c 0,

' =2 t aware i 5 f and f. of the draw-bar, and the bumper-ring and the notch d, in which to hold the end of 0, link D, and pin F, the sliding bar I, fitted the link, substantially as set forth and shown. 2 I

to slide'longitudinally within the space Z) in- ALVAH RICE. [0 closed between said members A and B, and itnesses:

blocksff, said sliding bar I being provided E. B. WVH'I'IMORE,

with finger-rests a a and shoulders 0 0, subl L. O. MCOONNELL. 

